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How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
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FORMER Western Bulldogs boss Campbell Rose has spoken of the dire state of the club 15 years ago and Susan Alberti’s role in keeping it alive.
Rose revealed the Dogs’ finances and decaying Whitten Oval facility were literally on the nose in late 2002.
“Every night the gas would build up in both sets of toilets, and the vents were blocked so all of the toilets would blow out overnight,” Rose said.
“There would be no water in the S-bend, so every morning the whole place stank of s---.
“People would get sick. You’d bring files home and they’d smell, they’d make the room smell.
“The place had no asset maintenance, no investment. It wasn’t a matter of making ends meet. They were too far apart. These days were very dark, very dark indeed.”
In a book on the life of Alberti, The Footy Lady, Rose reveals how the trailblazing businesswoman agreed to stump up $1 million of her own money to kickstart an emergency club fundraiser.
“I had a concept that involved lining up all the dominoes to materialise $20 million in a short space of time,” Rose said in the book.
“She came back within a few hours and said yes, she was with me. If Sue hadn’t of done that, my plan wouldn’t have worked. If I hadn’t had a leadership gift, a leader within the Bulldogs community, putting their faith in me, the whole concept would have failed.
“By believing in me and what I was aiming for, Sue gave me the ability to look other high-net-worth individuals in the eye and ask for their commitment.
“We raised $32 million. We shifted it from hopless, hapless and helpless to an environment of pride, success and excellence. On that journey, I cannot acknowledge, recognise and thank Sue Alberti enough for what she did.”
The book reveals Alberti donated more than $4 million to the Bulldogs over a dozen years, serving as a club director and vice-president.
Her lifelong love affair with the Dogs culminated in last year’s Grand Final triumph over Sydney.
Rose also details a conversation with the late Collingwood board member Nuno D’Aquino after accepting the Bulldogs’ top job.
“We talked over coffee and he (D’Aquino) asked, ‘Why did you take that job Campbell? It is a road to nowhere ... you will leave that club, with it in a pine box. The AFL will relocate it to Queensland.”
Former Bulldogs director George Pappas said Alberti’s appointment as one of footy’s first female board members was initially met with cynicism.
“There was concern she might want to run things, get involved in the colour of the jumpers ... because she likes to go into detail,” Pappas said.
“(But) Sue was a network in her own right ... and to be quite blunt, we needed people on there who had money.”
Rose added: “I could see there was something special about Sue. I said to (president) David Smorgon that we needed diversity around the board table.
“In no way do I mean our board was anti-woman, but if you swim around in the fish bowl long enough after a while you end up drinking your own shit.
“You don’t understand the environment you’re creating. And anything that challenges that is a shock. You don’t necessarily ask if maybe there’s a different way of doing things. And I could see that Sue could bring that dimension.”
Alberti, 70, was a major driver behind the establishment of the AFLW women’s league and famously took on and beat The Footy Show in a 2009 defamation case.
She was made a life member of the Western Bulldogs two years ago.
The Footy Lady: The Trailblazing Story of Susan Alberti by Stephanie Asher (Melbourne University Publishing, out 1 November)
RRP $29.99
Preorder now at mup.com.au
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
I'd buy that book. Susan is awesome. The fact we have a childcare centre out the front of our ground speaks volumes about us and what we stand for.
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
I'm going to buy the book because A. Susan Alberti is awesome and B. Just to help give back to someone who has given so much.
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Just placed an order for the book.
Bought it for my wife, but l will read it too.:)
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
4 million bucks...
Four. Million. Dollars.
I reckon I'd kick in 4 mil to the footy club I love if I could afford it. But that's easy for me to say because I'm never going to have 4 million dollars to give to the club. I wonder how I'd go walking the walk?
You've got to admire Susan Alberti.
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Susan is a fantastic women and really where would We be without her. She has put in not just the dollars but endless hours of her time.
I am in a business group that has been formed by Campbell Rose. Susan of course is a member of the group as are a lot of high powered business people. Don’t under estimate Campbell’s passion for the club, he has brought together over a 100 people into the group. He helped raise the dollars to get us out of strife as well as to redevelop VU Whitten oval.
We have some great people involved with the club and we are no longer a minnow
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Campbell Rose turned the club around financially, problem was he wasn't looking after the football side of things, I remember they bought in Fantasia as a go between , I think rocket ( might be wrong ) was coach at the time and he was doing everything, and didn't get on with Rose because of that.
No ones to blame I guess , Rockets job was the footy and Campbell's was the money side.
In the end were are a footy club and needed succes on the field.
By the time Campbell left we were in good shape and PG came in and was able to start putting money into the football side of things.
Smorgan, Rose and Alberti are the reason we still exist, PG was able to take us to the next step because of them. It's funny how it came full circle as the above 3 wouldn't have been able to do anything if peter hadn't done what they did in his previous term.
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Twodogs
4 million bucks...
Four. Million. Dollars.
I reckon I'd kick in 4 mil to the footy club I love if I could afford it. But that's easy for me to say because I'm never going to have 4 million dollars to give to the club. I wonder how I'd go walking the walk?
You've got to admire Susan Alberti.
I don't admire her, I love her. What a person.
And good to see Herald Sun editorial standards are still crud.
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bornadog
Susan is a fantastic women and really where would We be without her. She has put in not just the dollars but endless hours of her time.
I am in a business group that has been formed by Campbell Rose. Susan of course is a member of the group as are a lot of high powered business people. Don’t under estimate Campbell’s passion for the club, he has brought together over a 100 people into the group. He helped raise the dollars to get us out of strife as well as to redevelop VU Whitten oval.
We have some great people involved with the club and we are no longer a minnow
Does Rose still follow the club or have any involvement? What's he up to now, professionally?
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Quote:
Originally Posted by
comrade
Does Rose still follow the club or have any involvement? What's he up to now, professionally?
Yes Rose does follow the club, the group I mentioned was formed this year, we are called Red White and Blue, and solely set up for networking. There are a few ex players in the group as well, plus politicians like the State Treasurer, and many other captains of industry. (not sure how I was invited :D)
Rose is CEO of VICTRack, a government agency responsible for looking after the assets of the railways and trams.
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bornadog
Yes Rose does follow the club, the group I mentioned was formed this year, we are called Red White and Blue, and solely set up for networking. There are a few ex players in the group as well, plus politicians like the State Treasurer, and many other captains of industry. (not sure how I was invited :D)
Rose is CEO of VICTRack, a government agency responsible for looking after the assets of the railways and trams.
They'll find a use for you.........eventually.
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bornadog
Yes Rose does follow the club, the group I mentioned was formed this year, we are called Red White and Blue, and solely set up for networking. There are a few ex players in the group as well, plus politicians like the State Treasurer, and many other captains of industry. (not sure how I was invited :D)
Rose is CEO of VICTRack, a government agency responsible for looking after the assets of the railways and trams.
Sounds great!
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Quote:
Originally Posted by
comrade
Does Rose still follow the club or have any involvement? What's he up to now, professionally?
CEO at Vic Track. On the board of the WB Forever Foundation and central to setting up the RWB business group that bornadog is talking about.
Strangely there is no link to it on our club's website but you can read about the Foundation and RWB at this address:
http://www.foreverfoundation.com.au/rwb-is/
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Prince Imperial
CEO at Vic Track. On the board of the WB Forever Foundation and central to setting up the RWB business group that bornadog is talking about.
Strangely there is no link to it on our club's website but you can read about the Foundation and RWB at this address:
http://www.foreverfoundation.com.au/rwb-is/
Are you a member?
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bornadog
Are you a member?
No. I'm just a pleb!
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jeemak
They'll find a use for you.........eventually.
The kitchen is probably crammed with dirty dishes and everyone is saying "wheres BAD?":D
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Twodogs
The kitchen is probably crammed with dirty dishes and everyone is saying "wheres BAD?":D
Haha, in fact just got back (tonight) from three weeks holiday in Europe - so they must be piling up. :D
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Campbell Rose came to the dogs from the racing game , was in charge of the trots I think.
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ledge
Campbell Rose came to the dogs from the racing game , was in charge of the trots I think.
He has had a number of positions, but not trots. Before being CEO at the club, he was in charge of the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Susan is a wonderful supporter of our club. Who knows where we would be without her generosity and her commitment to the cause.
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jeemak
They'll find a use for you.........eventually.
Patsy? Fall-guy? Scapegoat? ;)
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Bulldog4life
Susan is a wonderful supporter of our club. Who knows where we would be without her generosity and her commitment to the cause.
I’m tipping we’d be stuffed
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Come the moment, come the woman.
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Went to a CPA lunch today with the guest speaker Susan. She spoke for around an hour, talking about how she started off in life, her first husband, her daughter, and her work for Diabetes Australia. Then she spent some time on AFLW.
I can say, she is so inspirational and a pleasure to listen to. The room was filled with a bunch of accountants, and even they were inspired :D. If you get a chance to attend a function where Susan is the guest speaker, it is highly recommended.
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Thanks for sharing bad. Now we all know you are an accountant too .
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Quote:
Originally Posted by
choconmientay
Thanks for sharing bad. Now we all know you are an accountant too .
Haha, yeah I am a CPA but haven't done accounting work for a very long time.
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bornadog
Haha, yeah I am a CPA but haven't done accounting work for a very long time.
Don't blame you...
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Quote:
Originally Posted by
choconmientay
Thanks for sharing bad. Now we all know you are an accountant too ��.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bornadog
Haha, yeah I am a CPA but haven't done accounting work for a very long time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Twodogs
Don't blame you...
Hey! I'm a CPA and work as an accountant. Could be worse, I could be an auditor.
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Axe Man
Hey! I'm a CPA and work as an accountant. Could be worse, I could be an auditor.
Did they invent auditor's to make it seem that everyday accountants had a personality?
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Bulldog Joe
Did they invent auditor's to make it seem that everyday accountants had a personality?
Yep, and then they had to invent actuaries to make auditors seem cool.
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Axe Man
Hey! I'm a CPA and work as an accountant. Could be worse, I could be an auditor.
I think you will find that the proper term is "the *!*!*!*!ing auditor" anyway that's what they call him where I work. "Quick here comes the *!*!*!*!ing auditor" they say. Then we all have to hide for a while.
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Any CAs in the house? And no, I'm not an auditor either.
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Daughter of the West
Any CAs in the house? And no, I'm not an auditor either.
My wife's a CA... but seriously she's quite fun. :)
I'm in strategy, which is kind of what CA's would be like if they worked in the old wild west!
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Susan has today ruled herself out of the running for the Lord Mayor of Melbourne
Quote:
PROMINENT Melbourne businesswoman and philanthropist Susan Alberti today ruled herself out of the lord mayor race.
The current Melburnian of the Year said many people had encouraged her to run for the top job at Town Hall but said she had many other commitments.
“I have a lot that I want to achieve in 2018 including a continued focus on women in sport and medical research, which would not have been able to receive my full attention if I ran for the position of Lord Mayor,’’ Ms Alberti said.
“The role is a very important one. It not only provides leadership for our city, but also impacts on thousands of ratepayers, staff and other stakeholders who live, work, visit or own a business in the City of Melbourne.”
Ms Alberti wished Robert Doyle well in his recovery.
A poll to elect a new lord mayor for Melbourne will be held on Saturday May 12.
Link
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Anyone know what this is about?
“Dogs at war: Club patron denied entry to match” - apparently in regards to Susan. I’m not a H-Sun subscriber so can’t read it.
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/ne...t-peter-gordon
Statement from Bulldogs President Peter Gordon
February 24, 2018 4:08 PM
I became aware this afternoon of a statement Sue Alberti made to Michael Warner of the Herald Sun today.
The Board and senior management of the club had previously been made aware of a number of issues at our first AFLW home game related to Sue and her support staff and her film crew.
Because of our relationship and her history, I had reached out to her to meet to discuss these matters privately over a coffee. The Board unanimously supported this approach.
Sue was unavailable to meet until after this weekend.
The matters of which she has now publicly complained occurred in the context of the first game. When I became aware of last night’s incidents, I reached out to her again to meet to discuss the position and she agreed this morning to meet early next week.
I regret that she has ventilated one part of the story in the media.
I stand by the policies and actions of our staff and management. No-one was excluded from the Whitten Oval last night.
It is still my hope and judgment that the matter is best resolved by a frank discussion between me and Sue, and the club will make no further comment until after that meeting has taken place.
I want to take the opportunity to express my gratitude to all of our paid and volunteer staff who once again catered for 9000 people at VU Whitten Oval last night, including a number of different events in our function areas, as well as media, AFL and football department operations.
I want to express the club’s gratitude to everyone from the LGBTIQ community and the Bulldogs’ own Pride Group, who generated so many community activities, all at our home ground last night.
And of course, I hope that appropriate attention will be focussed on the magnificent record-breaking achievements of our players last night.
Exclusive to westernbulldogs.com.au
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Thank you.
Hmm, not ideal :/
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Re: How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success
Quote:
Originally Posted by
cinder
Thank you.
Hmm, not ideal :/
Yeah only heard about it today.